It’s About Darn Time: The Perfect Gray Paint Color

It took us just days to pick the color but apparently took us, yeah, um, FOUR MONTHS to finally paint the room.

I’m not sure what’s more embarrassing – our painting laziness or my rockin’ farmer’s tan. Anyway, I searched my brain for some sort of an excuse for the dining room paint delay. Maybe we were too tired at the end of the day in January that we spent painting the living room and hallway the same color? Or we were too distracted by completing the guest room for Sherry’s mom’s February visit? Or we were too consumed with patio and party prep to take it on before Clara’s birthday? Maybe. Or we just like to bounce around randomly and come back to projects after months of dormancy. Probably that. Either way, something got into us, and the room (finally) went from this:

To this:

I know, I know. It’s not a huuuuge difference. Heck it might not look different at all online. But the soft gray definitely feels a lot more polished. And ding dong, the witch swatches are dead! The color is the same gray that we used in the living room and the hallway (Benjamin Moore’s Moonshine which we color matched to Olympic Premium No-VOC paint) so we already had the paint on hand (we got three gallons of it a while back in anticipation). It’s just such a good soft gray color. Seriously, it’s perfect in all the rooms we have used it (even though they have different lighting situations going on).

You may recall that we wanted to paint these rooms all the same color to connect and unify the spaces (and then the kitchen, which is in the middle of all of them, will have a bit more color on the walls for interest). Maybe looking at the unpainted and then painted room shots side by side will demonstrate how even a subtle coat of paint can help things like crown molding and trim have a bit more emphasis. The room definitely reads a lot more crisp now that it’s painted:

It still amazes us how much a coat of paint can do to make a room look finished – or, in our mostly furniture-less version, at least make it look a little less forgotten. Especially when it’s covering up test swatches that have been there so long that we didn’t even notice them anymore until friends would say “which color did you pick?” and we’d say “oh yeah… those” (it was the bottom one, btw).

Even this subtle addition of color to the walls has helped us notice a few things. For example, we didn’t even realize how beefy the crown molding was in here until we painted (it’s about twice as thick as any other room in the house). And the soft gray looks nice with the built-ins on the back wall. It lets them “be the star” (as Sherry would say) but still adds that light I’m-in-a-cloud vibe and makes the room feel polished and complete. Well, as complete as it can feel without curtains, art, entryway furniture, etc.

Since this room didn’t have pesky wood-toned-molding that needed a bunch of coats of white paint (like the living room), it was MUCH faster to finish (the living room also called for beam painting, which we’re thankful this room also didn’t involve). So by comparison, this project was cake. We did one coat together during Clara’s morning nap (Sherry cuts in while I roll) and then did our second coat in shifts after the three of us ate lunch (since one of us was on Clara duty while the other painted the day away). It was so relaxed that it further underscored how crazy it was for us to put it off for so long. Sherry even snuck in a phone date with her Katie B (her blogger BFF) at one point.

Oh and see those white tags in the photo above? Allow me to explain. Sherry’s “painting clothes” may look like an ordinary black sweatsuit (yes, she’s from Jersey and proud of it) from a distance, but take a closer look. It’s an inside-out black sweatsuit. Otherwise known as her pajamas when worn the right way. What Not To Wear, here we come!

We also took – and then promptly deleted – a PG-13 version of the photo below. Let’s just say I was putting the “moon” in “Moonshine by Benjamin Moore” (and my butt is whiter than my upper arms). Go ahead, I’ll give you a few seconds to picture that calamity.

Ok now stop, you’re creeping me out.

All tomfoolery aside, we’re just glad to live in a test-swatch free home. But of course, now having paint on the walls is giving us the itch to do more in there. I mean, it’d be a shame to leave these nice blank-canvas grey walls totally blank for too long, right? Especially since we’re dying to knock out a huge opening to the kitchen and hang curtains and add art and dye those off-white chair slipcovers…

Eh. Maybe we’ll get around to it in a month or two… or four. You know how we roll. Have you guys painted anything recently? Are you a fan of inside-out-pajamas as painting clothes? Have you had swatches on your walls for over four months? Tell us we’re not the only ones…

You guys really love BM’s Moonshine! I like the way it looks on the wall. The color of the built-ins really pops now! You’ll be able to bring in color elsewhere (the seat covers, wall art, maybe even a rug under the table??

And Sherry- I’m a Jersey girl, too, and promise not to tell Stacy and Clinton about your painting clothes! Gotta stick together.

I’m dying to paint my wood paneled kitchen, not totally dissimilar to your first kitchen, but larger. It is unfortunately totally varnished, so I’m not sure if I have the patience (or arm strength) to sand the whole thing down first. I’ve lived with it for three years, but I’m not sure I can go another one, especially since I’m going to be at home with my infant son full time. Y’all inspire me, so we shall see…

So sorry Edie! There might be something called a “deglosser” that they sell at your hardware store that you can just apply to your wood before priming (it might save some effort). Maybe check them out and ask what they recommend at the paint desk? Good luck!

We had varnished wood panelling in our old house. We discovered that the process of removing it was far simpler than our attempts to paint it. Luckily for us all it required was finding the nails and removing them. Another part of our house, someone used liquid nails (glue) and it required much more muscle. In the end we were happy to remove it all together.

You can even get a primer with a high hide….it has an extra adhesive to help stick to the glossy surface and then just paint on top of the primer. Most manufacturers carry at least one primer with a high hide.

We had the same thing and used an oil based super “high hide” primer before painting. Worked like a charm! We tried a latex primer first with really disappointing results, but the oil based has kept the yellow ick from creeping through for over a year now.

I’ve also used an oil-based “high hide” primer with great success on varnished paneling. We painted our panels a super pale gray and there are zero orangey tones peeking through. Definitely try priming before going to town with a sander!

The room looks great; so crisp and much more finished even without all the other details you’ll be adding. We’re giving serious consideration to grey in our new house (moved in less than 2 weeks ago) and this might just be the PERFECT shade! As always, thanks for the inspiration :o)

Looks absolutely fabulous! I agree, much more polished looking. I absolutely adore when bright white trim pops against painted walls- it looks so crisp and clean! And um, hello, projects (even small painting ones!) always take forever for me! Like our six month + long bathroom remodel… sheesh! Patience is a virtue, right?! : )

You’re right, it’s not a huuuuuge difference, but it really warms the place up.

I haven’t had swatches on any walls for months, but I painted over an accent wall almost a year ago and still haven’t touched it up. If you look closely by one of the vents, you can see a little green. Oops!

I’ve had swatches on my bedroom walls since at least March!! Oh and my entryway has had primer under the chair rail for 2 months or so. I like bouncing around projects. As my husband puts it, it keeps us always excited and motivated to be working on whatever we’re doing at the moment! Right now we’re in outdoor mode because of the nice weather, but once it gets too hot to be gardening and whatnot, I’m sure we’ll get our rollers back out :)

The dining room looks fantastic! Congrats on finishing that project. Now I have to comment on something totally awesome in your post besides the paint on the walls…….I think Sherry is totally brilliant for turning her clothes inside out to paint in. It’s genius and you can still use the item of clothing if it gets a little paint on it. Consider that idea snatched! :-)

The room really does look more polished. I love the idea of jammies as painting clothes. I’m an artist and my painting clothes feel even slouchier(in a bad way) than my PJ’s, so jammies would definitely be a step up!

We have standard 8′ ceilings but John is 6′ tall (and with his long arms he can usually roll to the top except for above doors and windows). For those areas he uses a small stepladder (which I use to do all the cutting in up top). We have learned that taping off the ceiling is easier to get a clean line since I prefer cutting in without tape on things I can easily reach (but the ceiling is such a stretch that it’s easier to just tape it off and swipe paint along the tape up top). Tip: remove tape right away after the last coat for the crispest line.

This looks beautiful – my favorite photo is the one of your table and newly slip-covered chairs with the built-ins in the background…very magazine-ish :) We haven’t started painting yet, but when we do, I’d love to give the no-VOC paint a try.

I can’t believe you don’t use ANY drop cloths! I thought I was good just using one and scooting it around. When I don’t use a drop cloth I always seem to find little spots of paint from off-spray of the roller.

We’re crazy when it comes to wood floors. We’ve learned it just wipes right off if it’s wet (and can be “popped” off if it’s dry) so we just watch for drips along the way and wipe them as we go. Carpeted rooms are another story though!

This looks great! It must be great to have those rooms flow together now like you envisioned.

So glad you did a painting post today. I just wanted to drop in an say thank you! I’ve been reading your blog for about 6 months while we worked very hard to get a place to call our own (we had been renting up to this point). We FINALLY closed on Friday after 5 months of heartache. And the big DIYers that we are – we were at the paint store buying 15 Gallons of paint on Sunday. Thats right we just jumped right in.

Now I am a painting rookie – never cut in before… but I went to Sherwin Williams and bought 3 of the 2″ tight spot brushes while telling my husband – we neeeeed them – Sherry says they are the best. And they are amazing! I was cutting in like a pro. After 20 minutes marveling at my straight lines I was saying things like tape – I don’t need no stinking tape!

LOVE this because we painted the inside of a closet (all the shelves fell down- perfect time to paint) and I used the same brush and I was SO excited about how easy it was! Congrats on the new house, Aimee! :)

After I paint in them I’m usually a sweaty mess so I toss them into the hamper and by the time they get washed and I wear them again they’re not crunch or anything. Man I can’t believe John spilled my weird inside-out secret.

Love the subtleness. We tackled a painting project over the holiday, too! It took us what felt like no time at all. But I think it’s because we are used to dealing with a lot of other things (like you two) except ours involve facing my fear of heights and cutting in our vaulted ceilings. So painting our family room was a cinch! We went with the same color as the majority of our first floor living space (Ben’s Cape Hatteras Sand) and our accent wall we are calling “Modern Family Blue” because we were totally inspired by that show. We love the characters and we freakin’ LOVE their homes. Behr’s Waterscape did the trick. Check it out:http://chrislovesjulia.blogspot.com/2011/05/modern-family-blue.html

super happy for you all to get something else to, well, some stage of completion. We’re repainting as soon as I get done with work for the summer- can’t wait! This kind of post makes me even more excited to get started. :)

4 months, please. You guys are rookies! I had a swatch painted in my kitchen for at least 5 YEARS! STILL haven’t painted the kitchen, but I did paint a new swatch last month! LOL! Indecision is a BEAST!

The living room looks great. The whole house is pulling together so nicely. Just love your overall style. And while you keep talking about this house having colors that are so much more saturated and risky than the old house, I still get that crisp, light, and airy vibe that I loved from the old house.

I have been anxiously awaiting the dining room paint job!! Unfortunately my monitor is one where I can barely tell the difference, but I am excited none the less. I can’t wait for those slip covers to have some color and see what y’all do for curtains. Am I remembering correctly that y’all are planning to re-do your office chairs? I have been anxiously awaiting that as well.

Yes! We’re both sitting on those as I type this and we can’t wait to get to them. I think we’re waiting to see what curtain fabric we go with in the dining room and office since we might use that as inspiration for the chair color and fabric choices.

I have had paint swatches on my bedroom wall for at least four or five months…oops. And the worst thing is…now that I have time and energy to paint (since my Lightning are out of the NHL Playoffs…SOB!) I think I have changed my mind about the color choice…BUT I ALREADY BOUGHT THE PAINT IN ONE OF THE OTHER COLORS! Hmmmm…will now have to decide which I like more…money or style…LOL!

And I usually paint in old sports giveaway t-shirts. My favorite at the moment is a shirt given in honor of one of the Tampa Bay Rays pitchers, David Price, and on the night of a free Vanilla Ice concert…it says “Price Price, Baby!”

Now that you’ve lived with Moonshine for several months, have you noticed any non-gray undertones? I’ll be painting our new apartment Moonshine next month, but want to be certain that it’s a pure gray with no hint of blue or purple. I’d really appreciate your opinion. Thank you!

No undertones at all but soft gray. It’s like platinum. So pretty! Although I have to warn you- our perfect gray might not be yours (it could have purple undertones or yellow ones in your space- it all depends how much light you get and what direction your house faces and all that stuff). Lighting conditions can change how paint looks in every house, so be sure to bring home swatches and see what looks the most gray to you! Good luck!

my bestie & family moved into their new house thanksgiving 2009 and we put up paint swatches in her kitchen that weekend. . . . they are still there! other projects have been tackled (like gutting and remodeling a bathroom, turning the attic space into a closet) but the easy paint the kitchen task still undone. so you are not alone :)

Aw thanks Monica! We’ve actually been here over 5 months, but we painted those swatches about a month after moving in, and then they just sat and sat. So glad we got back to it eventually though! It really does make a difference!

Yeah we’re actually huge fans of painted ceilings (either the wall color or a halftone of it or even something complementary if we’re feeling playful) but we haven’t tackled the ceilings in any rooms yet. I guess we’ll have to work up to those. Haha.

I don’t have swatches painted on the walls but I’ve had paint chips hung up on various walls for months. I also have had the paint bought for over a year for my front door. Then there’s the paint that will be used in my living room that I’ve had for months…. so now I just need to get my butt in gear!!! :) Love the light gray – I might use that color for a future room project!

A) Painting in inside-out clothes is brilliant!
B) It didn’t look all that dramatic/different in the first photo but I still love it. Our guest room is a similar shade and I would bet a soft gray couldn’t go wrong in anyone’s house.
C) As I scrolled though the provided photos it IS amazingly different. I didn’t even notice the moulding around the hallway doorway before. And, I loved the off-white slipcovers before but with the paint, not really. Green will be awesome. I get it now, lol. I’m so excited for you guys. I feel so lucky that we get to see your vision come together. Thanks for sharing!

We actually already changed them out a while back (from the first pic where they’re bronze to the pics on the bottom you might be able to tell that they’re a fun yellow color). We liked how they popped like some of the yellow items in the bookcase and how they don’t take themselves too seriously (since a big wall of built-ins can read as “fancy” and we want the room to feel casual and inviting).

Looks great! Our house reno has been going on for almost 3 years, and we have a lot of projects hanging in the balance — including leaving lines of painter’s tape on the bathroom wall (for months on end) marking where I want to put shelves (when I get around to making them). But we always come back to those projects when we need a break from OTHER projects, so they’ll get done in due course!

The biggest embarrassing undone project is a small swath of primer still showing in our otherwise-painted upstairs hallway (which is a similar shade of grey to your walls). It’s the spot next to the ceiling over the stairwell, and we need a big ol’ ladder to reach it. We have the paint, and we have a big ol’ ladder, but no one wants to climb up there and do it…

I guess since I’m pregnant, hubby is drawing the short straw this time because it’s on the list of things to finish before our little girl arrives!

Sherry, I think that picture of you on the phone is adorable, haha. Not to sound creepy or anything. I think it’s just the face you’re making.

I may not have swatches on my wall or anything that have been there for four months… but for two months I’ve been meaning to put some posters in my game room and they’re STILL sitting on the floor. I think my cats believe that they’re permanent floor fixtures under which to hide at this point…

All this aside, I think that even that subtle difference the paint made is fantastic. It was kind of bland before (though I’m not very fond of plain white walls to begin with), but the trim definitely shows more significantly now, and the paint sets a nice mood. I love the contrast between the dark blue background of the built-in cabinets, the crown molding, and the walls themselves! Wow!

I don’t know which is more awesome…the fact that you guys are such painting pros you didn’t even need a drop cloth, or the fact that you used a honey nut cheerio box under your paint can. You guys are experts at repurposing cardboard boxes – I need to start hanging onto them!

We close tomorrow on our new house (we’re only moving the family 2 miles, thank goodness). I have a WHOLE HOUSE that needs repainting ASAP. (Some oil-based, ugh!). Luckily, during the final walk-thru a few days ago, I was able to sneak in some gallons of paint (Olympic No VOC, thanks to you guys!) and supplies into a closet, so it’s waiting for me as soon as we get the keys! Excuse me while I go change into my paintin’ clothes. :)

hey this has nothing to do with this post but the girl from a blog that i follows just reminds me of sherry they look so much alike. i’ve told her also and she agrees. check out her blog there are pictures of her in it.